Greener Ways to Natural Body Care

Many plants have beneficial effects upon the skin. Picture thanks to fRandy-Shooters.

There are lots of products claiming to be "natural" but are they green?

And how natural are they really?

What's here?

In this section of Greenfootsteps we take a look at the hype and the reality and try to separate the two!

There are billions of dollars being poured into natural body care. As consumers, we care deeply and want quality products which do not endanger our health - or the health of our planet.

How can we be certain that the products we buy are not only natural but also safe and eco-friendly?

Here we try to find out!

Natural? How natural?

If you care about the environment and green living it will be second nature to use natural beauty products as part of your beauty routine.

But all may not be quite as it seems!

Many, many companies slap the word 'natural' on their products, hoping to persuade us to buy. In many cases, it's just that, a word. It has no real force in law as it is such a common, general word.

If you want to use body care products which really are natural and which are safe for the environment and safe for you - well you have to dig a little deeper.

Fortunately, there are many reputable companies which sell excellent products, some with wholly organic and natural ingredients. There are now even some companies which specialise in 100% organic food-grade ingredients. That is a pretty high standard. If something is good enough to eat, then it is certainly safe to put on your skin.

However, even so-called "natural" products from health shops and companies may not always be quite what they seem.

So, it's a good idea to get a little savvy about what to look for in a product and learn how to read the labels.

Mainstream products and really natural products

In this part of the Greenfootsteps site you will find details of mainstream body care products and the natural body care products which can be used as alternatives.

You won't find every product here, of course, but you will find many of the most common ingredients and details of how they affect you and the environment.

The pages are organised in broad product categories. For example, there are pages on sunscreens and on hair conditioner.

Each page has details of some of the origins and ingredients for each product and there are a few suggestions for homemade recipes, too.

Each page also gives some recommendations for greener and healthier ways to source the products - so you should be able to make a more informed choice when you see the next must-have natural body care product!

You can also learn how to use food items from your organic kitchen in your natural care routine.

See for more details.

Pages on common products

Some details of what's in your suntan oil or spray and some thoughts on the best ways of staying safe ...

Simple soap is made by mixing an alkali such as potassium or sodium hydroxide (lye) with oils or fats. The resulting reaction - called saponification - produces a soapy substance which can then be refined to produce bars of soap.